Love and Bake
by Aipom4
Summary: Katara, owner of a bakery shop finds love. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own ATLA. Got the idea from Edlover23.**

"Another day another cake." Katara said, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Katara Peters owned her own little bakery shop. 'Love and Bake.' It was a small cozy bakery shop where you can also sit and eat. Katara was head baker. She worked the counter and baked the goodies. Since she was the owner she allowed her workers to have a comfortable style, but perhaps they took advantage of it.

Yue wore pigtails with blue ties. She wears a dark blue dress with silver patterns, under a green sweater. Her shoes are dark blue with silver fluff on top with silver laces.

Suki wore a green off the shoulder dress of sorts that has cobalt blue straps and a low hanging belt, with boots of the same color. With the boots she green socks that have black edges.

Katara's own was simple, a blue and silver polka dot top with a blue and white crop sweater. She has blue and white shorts, her shoes are black and blue sneakers and blue leg warmers. She wore a blue necklace. She wore her apron when she baked though.

Katara sighed as she was left to do all the work again. Sure they did have their own indivuial parts to do. Suki controlled the ordering and website. Yue did the serving and Katara baked and worked the counter.

Katara smiled when she saw her favourite customer, Zuko Agni. He was surprisingly without his gloomy girlfriend, Mai. Mai was a governor's daughter. Katara never understood why he was with a girl like Mai. She was so rude and boring. Maybe Katara was only thinking this because she was jealous. Katara always had a little crush on Zuko. He was tall, good looking, rich, he also had a red scar and he was so intelligent.

"Hey Zuko, the usual? A big fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top?" Katara asked, that was what he always ordered for his girlfriend.

"No, not today Katara, can I just have a strawberry muffin." Zuko said.

"Oh, sure would that be two? One for you and your girlfriend?" Katara asked.

"No, I'm alone today and maybe for a while." Zuko said. Katara gave him his muffin and he sat down and looked out the glass window. He looked sad. Yue listened in to their conversation. She walked over to Zuko.

"Um, can I help you with something?" Zuko asked.

"How come you didn't order your usual?" Yue asked. Zuko sighed.

"Mai and I are no longer together, so what's the point?" Zuko said. Yue gave a big smile.

"Um, are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah." Yue said, leaving Zuko to his muffin.

Yue grabbed Katara and took her to the back room.

"What was that for?" Katara asked.

"Katara, this is your chance!"

"What?"

"Zuko and Mai broke up!" Yue said excitedly.

"And?"

"Go get your flirt on! You have to snatch him up before he gets taken!" Yue said.

"Yue, this is a guy not some sale." Katara said. Yue shook her head.

"Well in a way he is, now stop layawaying him and purchase him!" Yue said, taking off Katara's apron and pushing her towards Zuko. Zuko looked up at her.

"Uh, since I'm the owner, I get to choose my own break, can I join you?" Katara asked. Zuko shrugged and nodded. Katara sat down across from him.

"So, you seem, sad." Katara said. Zuko sighed.

"Yeah, I have this big party to go to, Mai broke up with me and now I'm going alone to the party." Zuko said.

"How's that bad?"

"I'm the CEO, it's embarrassing to go in alone and have your exgirlfriend on the arms of your competition."

"She cheated on you?" Katara gasped.

"Yeah." Zuko looked down. Katara reached across to grab his hand.

"She didn't deserve you." Katara said sincerely. Zuko smiled.

"Hey, would you like to go to the party with me?" Zuko asked.

"Who me?"

"Yeah."

"Sure." Katara said. Zuko kissed Katara's hand and ordered a blueberry muffin. He winked at Katara as he excited. Yue and Suki grabbed Katara's hands and squealed.

"He was totally thinking of you."

"How can you tell?"

"He ordered a blueberry muffin instead of strawberry."

"And?"

"And, your favourite color is blue? He noticed that!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Credict and Big Thanks to AnnaAza for editing out my spelling errors and mistakes. Please review! And cheak out my other stories!**

Katara sat on her chair as she brushed her hair. Tonight was the party. Katara first panicked because she had nothing to wear. So she called Zuko to cancel, but he just laughed it off. The next day, he came to her work and slipped her a an envelope. She put it underneath her apron, not knowing what it was, and he gave her a quick peck and left. Katara ran to the back room  
and opened the envelope. It was a check. Katara gapped, ready to pick up her cell and tell  
him to take it back, but she noticed a small note.  
_"Don't worry about it,; just buy something nice and sexy for me.:)."  
_Katara blushed as she read his note. But this was all too fast. They weren't even dating, but he wanted her to buy something sexy for him?

Katara went to the mall and purchased a long red dress revealing her stomach with a gold belt on the waist, and over-the-elbow light blue gloves. Katara put down her brush and looked around her room. She lived in a small house, since it was only her, and it suited her just fine. The doorbell rang and Katara sprang up, and rushed downstairs. She checked her appearance in the mirror and then opened the door. There stood Zuko, dressed all in black, with a red tie. His mouth dropped.

"Wow, you look great." He finally said. Katara blushed and gave a out little giggle.

"Thanks, so do you." Katara took Zuko's offered arm and he led her to his red sports car. There was silence all the way to the party. With a bit of awakard questions here and there, like "who's party is it?", "who will be there.?", she found out that it was Mai's party. Even though they broke up, he was still forced to go. Katara secretly hoped all his old feelings for Mai was gone.

"So, what's your secret?" Zuko asked.

"Huh?" Katara said, snapping out of her thoughts.

"I mean, your business, 'Love & Bake', is quite a small quiet place...but yet you earn so much, even higher than the other bigger bake shops."

"How did you know that?" Katara asked, a bit surprised; she never told Zuko how much she earned. But it was true—"Love & Bake" was the highest earning bakery. Katara had a family secret that she put it all the time when she baked. She never told anyone, not even her co-workers, what she did put in her pasteries. It was a family secret, passed down from generation  
to generation, her grandmother to her mother to herself.

"Let's just say, I like to do my research." Zuko winked.

"Well, I do have a special ingredient that I put in my cakes..." Katara teased, though Zuko tensed up.

"What is it?" Zuko asked harshly. Katara gave him a look. Why did it matter?

"I can't tell; it's a family secret." Katara said. Zuko loosened up and gave  
out a laugh.

"Sorry about that—it's just that my mother's birthday is coming up and I wanted to surprise her with a delicious cake."

"Well, I could always bake it for you..."

"It's ok, I just wanted to do this for her; let's just say I'm a bit of a mama's boy." Zuko blushed.

"That's cute."

"So we're here!" Zuko nervously said. Katara looked out. It looked like a beautiful palace. When they went inside, there were hundreds, no thousands, of people there. Her mouth hung open at the buffet. Zuko smirked and closed her mouth, with a small peck. Katara felt woozy, feeling his lips on her, even though it was only for a second.

"Shall we dance?" Zuko asked. Katara nodded, still dazed after the small kiss.

Katara grew nervous as she started to step on Zuko's toes. Zuko groaned in pain. Katara unclasped hands and was about to turn away.  
"I'm sorry, I'll just leave." Katara then felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Zuko turned her around to face him and placed a finger on her lips. Zuko then put his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. Katara gasped.

"Now, let's try this again." suddenly, as they started back up into the waltz, Katara felt like she was in a dream, dancing so gracefully with Zuko. She was so into it that she didn't notice when the dance was done.

"Come, I want you to meet my father." Zuko pulled her over to a tall, stern-looking man. Next to him was a small petite woman.

"Father, Azula, this is Katara." Zuko presented her, like a child showing off his new toy. Azula, the girl, looked her up and down and said nothing. She walked away over to Mai's side and the two started whispering. Katara's confidence shrunk.

"So, aren't you that bakery owner?" Zuko's father asked. Katara nodded.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Ozai Angi." He held out his hand. Katara shook it.

It felt strange; it didn't have much warmth like Zuko's, just plain coldness.

"Katara Peters, sir."

"I hope you two will enjoy yourselves," Ozai nodded to both of them and turned around to talk to someone. Zuko took Katara's hand and led her out to the balcony.

"Katara, I know we don't know each other that well, but I like you." Zuko said softly.  
"Me too." Katara leaned up to him; they both shared a soft kiss. Ozai smirked at the couple, as he twirled around the drink in his hand. Zuko and Katara's kiss ended and they embraced. Ozai took up the opportunity to raise up his glass, as if congratulating his son for a job well done. Since Katara's back was turned Zuko picked up his glass, still in Katara's embrace, and raised it as well.  
Plan 1 complete.


	3. Chapter 3

A few months had passed and Katara and Zuko were together offically. Everyday he'd come by the bake shop and flirt with her. Today was here day off and she decided to spend it with Zuko. She and Zuko were on his couch kissing. Zuko started nibbling on her neck.

"Oh, Zuko!" Katara giggled.

"Yes my love?" Zuko licked her lips.

"I have a present for you!" Katara teased.

"I hope it involves lace!" Zuko asked.

"Better than that!"

"Hand-cuffs?" Zuko got excited.

"No!" Katara giggled. She passed him a notebook.

"Wow, I love it now where were we!" Zuko tossed the book. Katara went and picked it up.

"Here are the rescipes for you to make your mom that birthday cake!" Katara said. "It's a family secret, my friends and co-workers don't even know it!"

"Oh," Zuko felt guilty. "Why share it with me then?"

"Because, I, I love you.." Katara said. "I know we have only been dating for two-"

Zuko shut her up with a kiss to the lips. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up and took her to his bedroom. He rest her down on his bed and texted his father. After that he threw his cell on the floor and pounced on his girlfriend. Unknowning to them someone was watching from secruity camera's. It was Ozia, he recieved a text.

"Father, I'm sorry, the deal is over!" Ozia reread the text over and over. He crushed the cell in his hands. And went into his pocket and pulled out another, flipped it open and pressed a number.

"Azula, do you still have the keys to Zuko's mansion?" Ozia asked. "Good, I need you to sneak in and get something for me!"

Katara was in her bake shop crying.

"I don't know how they got that recipe!" Suki said. Yue said silent.

"I know, no one but me knows it!" Katara put her face in her hands crying. Their competition had taken 'Love & Bake' out of bussiness in one day. Suki went over and bought some of their stuff and it tasted like Katara's recipes.

"Hey Katara.." Yue said gently. Katara wiped her tears.

"Yes."

"Isn't that bakery owned under Zuko's dad?" Yue asked.

"Yeah, but.." Katara said. Suki started to laugh.

"C'mon Yue, Katara would never give up the recipe! Right Katara?"

"Well, I did!"

"He must have given his father the recipe!" Yue said.

"No, he would never!" Katara defended her boyfriend. "Yes I gave him the recipe book, but that was only for him to make a cake for his mom!" Yue and Suki both looked at each other than back at Katara.

"Katara, Zuko's mom is dead.." Yue said softly.

"What?"

"Well, it's either she's dead or maybe she ran away, all I have to say is, they still hasn't found her..." This angered Katara. Zuko stepped in the shop holding out flowers.

"Hey-" Katara silenced him with a slap on the face.

"You bastard!" Katara cried as Suki held her back. "You were only using me, lying about your mom, tricking me!"

"Kata-"

"Shut up!" Katara screeched. "How could you lie about your mother? My mom died and I would never dishonor her by making up some lie!"

"But-"

"Get away from me!" Katara pushed him. Zuko said nothing. He didn't understand this, he never gave his father the recipe book. Maybe someone stole it? But no one had keys to his mansion except.

"Azula."


	4. Chapter 4

"Katara, Katara come quick!" Yue pulled a sleepy Katara out of bed.

"What's up?" Katara said sleepily. Yue shoved Katara in her car.

"No time to explain!"

Katara mouth gaped at the line up of her bakery. "When did this happen?" Katara asked as she stumbled out of the car. Yue laughed.

"It was all Zuko's doing!"

"What?"

"Don't you watch tv?" Yue asked. "Zuko was on an interview and told everyone what happened!"

"What exactly did happen?" Katara asked as she rushed in her bakery and started baking for her awaiting customers.

"Apparently Ozai sent Azula to still the recipe book, Zuko was orginally going to steal it and give it to his father but then he backed out because he found something more important."

"What's that?" Katara tied her apron behind her back.

"Love!" Yue grabbed Katara and shook her by the shoulders. Suddenly Katara burst into tears.

"He and Mai got back together?" Katara wailed.

"No, he doesn't love Mai!" Yue said. "You're just like your brother!"

Katara wiped her tears. "Then who is it?"

"You!" A male voice said. The two girls turned around to see Zuko with roses, a present and a box of chocolate in his hands. Yue looked between the two.

"I'll leave you two alone!" Yue walked out to the cash.

"Katara.." Zuko said.

"No, me first!" Katara said, she ran into his arms and kissed him. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, I took advantage of you!" Zuko rubbed her back. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Only if you forgive me first!"

"I missed you, your voice, your eyes and your smell, the smell of.." Zuko sniffed. "Burnt cookies?" Katara ran to her oven.

"Oh no, my cookies are on fire!" Katara grabbed an extingushater, it was so power it not only put the fire out but it pushed Katara into Zuko. The pair laughed.

"So much for the cookies, chocolate and flowers!" Katara said.

"But the present is still here." Zuko said.

"What is it anyways?" Katara asked.

"Handcuffs, for later!" Zuko winked. "Now, we have a bake shop to run!"

"We?" Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Well, considering those two have their hands full with customers someone's got to help with the baking!"


End file.
